How NEW Years Help OLD Habits There is at least one thing that we all have in common. We want change. We need change. Lady Tramaine Hawkins has been my special musical guest, from time to time, when I’ve conducted summer evangelistic campaigns. She is always well received when she
The Question Most Leaders Are Afraid to Ask It’s like Kryptonite to otherwise bold leaders. (Kryptonite: A radioactive material that made Superman seek personal counseling.) This question is harder for most leaders than the perplexing questions of the ages. Questions like: What is truth? How many angels can fit on
What Ministers Wish Members Knew So. Jesus approached a group of disciples who were weeping. “Why are you crying my daughter?” “Because I’m blind,” she said. Jesus touched her eyes and she could see. He moved to the next disciple. “Why are you crying my sister?” “Because I’m lame,” she
What Members Wish Pastors Knew I live in a strange world. I’ve spent most of my professional life pastoring churches. Churches large and small. Churches large enough for multiple staff and multiple worship services. Churches so small that I had to wash my own feet at communion. (Think about it.)
The Disappearing Anglo Adventist I’ve been thinking about this for a week, and now you’re going to help me think about it. Last Thursday, I was sitting with a good friend, enjoying the dedication of the new North American Division conference office in Columbia, Maryland. A large academy choir marched
Trick or Treat! Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? It’s literally impossible to avoid Halloween these days. In a few days, everyone from Donald Trump to Pennywise the Clown will be knocking on our doors looking for candy. There will be parties and movies and fright nights in the woods, and haunted
Non-Christian Friends? 7 Reasons You Need Them Actually, the original title for this blog was, 7 Reasons You Need Some Heathen Friends. But that was a bit harsh. Plus, when I say heathen, I don’t see a hopeless sinner, I see Aunt Esther calling Fred a heathen in Sanford and
The Second Thing Every Leader Should Do! I was preaching in Philadelphia not long ago for young pastor Marquis Johns. I had a fantastic time at the North Philly Church. The worship was rich, the fellowship was great, and the church was alive. I sat in the study before and
Michael Nixon, Andrews U, and Race Historically, I’ve never been a big Andrews University fan. I graduated from Andrews, but in the same way you graduate from reform school or drivers school – I had to go. I was fresh out of Oakwood, and newly sponsored to pursue my call
Christ to Critics- “Stop Attacking My Wife!” Here’s the thing. Some people are going to read the title of this blog and totally miss the message of this blog. What do I mean? This is what I mean. It is absolutely appropriate to criticize the church. Frankly, we probably don’t
Chick fil A: What Your Church Can Learn – Part II What can your local church learn from a chicken store? Apparently, in the case of Chick-fil-A, quite a bit. I thought I was done with this story, but obviously there’s still meat on the bones! (I know. I couldn’t
Chick-fil-A: What Your Church Could Learn Since 2010, Chick-fil-A has been the most successful fast food restaurant in America. It leads the fast food industry in sales per store by a large margin. Like most “overnight success stories”, Chick-fil-A labored for more than 20 years before it opened its first
